Polymers in Sport and Leisure

References and Abstracts
shot systems. By manipulating the backbone linkages,
wide ranges in properties and hardness are achieved with
ease of processing. This flexibility now allows quasiprepolymers
to be used for a range of applications in the
industrial, transportation, sports and leisure industries. The
structure-property relationships of quasi-prepolymers are
characterised, contrasting them with conventional
prepolymers and one-shot PU systems. By testing these
elastomers under static and dynamic conditions, the effect
of polymer structure on static and dynamic properties is
revealed. 9 refs.
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY; EUROPEAN UNION; GERMANY;
USA; WESTERN EUROPE
Accession no.665122
Item 225
Polyurethanes World Congress ’97. Conference
proceedings.
Amsterdam, Netherlands, 29th Sept.-1st Oct.1997,
p.536-44. 43C6
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE SELECTION OF
POLYURETHANE SYSTEMS FOR MIDSOLE
WEDGES IN ATHLETIC FOOTWEAR
APPLICATION
Indesteege J; Camargo R E; Mackey P W; Dent A;
Bagaglio G
ICI Polyurethanes; ICI Asiatic Chemical Co.
(SPI,Polyurethane Div.; ISOPA)
Most developments in high performance PU foam systems
for manufacturing sport shoe midsole wedges have
concentrated on reducing density while maintaining
physical properties. In the drive to reduce the density of
the midsole material, it has become apparent that
maximising any one physical property can result in the
deficiency of another critical parameter. Increasing the
hardness of a soling material, for example, may be needed
to increase the load capacity and potentially result in
improved cushioning. However, if the system is not
properly modified taking into account some basic
principles of PU elastomers, the resultant foam can have
lower resiliency and tear strength. It is important to
understand the interrelationships of properties to ensure
both the durability and performance of a sports shoe. Tear
strength, tensile strength and elongation are specified to
ensure the strength and durability, whereas pendulum
rebound, skin hardness and resiliency are specified to
ensure the performance and comfort of the shoe. The
physical property balance for midsole wedge materials
that satisfies typical hardness specifications of sport shoe
manufacturers is described. The use of compression
hardness instead of indentation or skin hardness to specify
the load bearing characteristics of midsole materials is
advocated. It is also shown that the physical properties of
a system vary as a function of the processing conditions,
as well as how the measurement of these properties are
affected by the testing environment. Using this
information, the sports shoe designer can engineer not
only the right product, but also the right process to
guarantee the maximum performance and durability of a
shoe. 12 refs.
BELGIUM; EUROPEAN COMMUNITY; EUROPEAN UNION;
THAILAND; WESTERN EUROPE
Accession no.665051
Item 226
Plastics News(USA)
9, No.32, 6th Oct.1997, p.1/9
YACHT MAKERS MULLING ACRYLIC HULL
Pryweller J
This article reports on how two US yacht manufacturers
are moving away from the use of reinforced composites
(an industry standard-bearer for almost forty years) in the
structure of their products, and how Sea Ray Boats Inc.
is testing a thermoformed hull using an acrylic/ABS blend.
Potentially the blend could have an extremely wide use,
it is stated.
SEA RAY BOATS INC.; OMC BOAT GROUP INC.
USA
Accession no.664935
Item 227
Reinforced Plastics
41, No.11, Dec.1997, p.34-8
GRP MEETS THE JET SKI CHALLENGE
Marsh G
In the USA, up to 200,000 personal watercraft units are
produced. Over 92% of craft are now “sit down” types
first introduced by Yamaha. Nearly all craft today are
produced in either GRP or SMC. SMC hulls tend to be
more rigid, which can make them more resistant to minor
damage, but are harder to repair when something serious
does happen. The high initial cost of steel tooling and
powerful presses can be a major drawback with SMC.
USA
Accession no.664762
Item 228
Materie Plastiche ed Elastomeri
No.4, April 1996, p.190-200
Italian
WEARING POLYMERS
Modini G
Developments by a number of companies in synthetic
fibres, including microfibres, elastomeric fibres and various
speciality fibres are reviewed, and applications of such
fibres in sportswear are examined. Polymeric membranes
used in clothing are also discussed. Statistics are presented
for the Italian and European textile industries and Italian
exports and imports of synthetic fibres.
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY; EUROPEAN UNION; ITALY;
WESTERN EUROPE; WESTERN EUROPE-GENERAL; WORLD
Accession no.663535
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